Despite Barbara's wishes Alfred insisted Barbara take the day off from vigilante work and focus on her life as Barbara Gordon. Barbara obviously didn't like that idea in the slightest, especially with Hugo Strange and that monster out there. But after Alfred promised to look into Strange in her absent Barbara finally agreed.
Turns out, twenty four hours away from vigilante work was just what the doctor ordered. She had arguably the best day of work she had since Sarah's death. She was well rested and relaxed, there for that one day she felt like the pre Batgirl Barbara again.
But as soon as the twenty four hours was up Barbara was back to work, driving up to the Batcave dressed in her full uniform minus the cowl.
"Did you enjoy your little break for one day Miss Gordon?"
"It was… refreshing." Barbara found herself admitting. "I feel recharged which is strange to say. Now, about Hugo Strange?
"Yes well as you were enjoying your forced day off…"
"You don't have to say it like that."
"I say it as I see it. Anyway, Hugo has kept for the most part a pretty clean profile till now. He never had any run ins with Bruce, and has no prior criminal record until last year."
"What happened last year?"
"That is where things get… no pun intended… Strange. Up until last year Hugo Strange was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum. He was discovered doing illegal lobotomies and tests on many of the patients at the time of his termination. By the time the cops showed up to arrest him he had vanished."
"Only to pop up now." Barbara added.
"Did Harley or Sarah know anything about this Hugo Strange?"
"They never said anything about him during our time as roommates?"
"Do you suppose Miss Quinzell might be able to shed some light on our mysterious figure?"
"I don't know Alfred, but I'm going to find out."
The next day after work Barbara stopped by Arkham to pay another visit her old friend. This time though it a wasn't a routine visit, she needed answers about Strange, answers she thought only Harley could give.
Needless to say Harley was surprised to see Barbara again. "Babs please for the love of God stop visiting me, you need to move on."
"First off Harley I'm never going to stop visiting my friends, second I'm here on Batgirl business, and you could be my best bet for answers."
"What do you need from me?" Harley asked nervously.
"What do you know about Hugo Strange?"
Harley's face went pale as her eyes went wide with fear. "Babs, I'm warning you, be careful around that monster."
"Harley, what do you know about him?"
"I know that when I worked at Arkham he scared me more than any inmate ever did. He always seemed off mentally. He seemed like he was more fascinated in what made the patients mad instead of trying to help them. Often times me and Sarah overheard him talking to himself in his office how Gotham was a time bomb and how the city would only truly be saved if it was cleansed of it's current inhabitants and rebuilt under the next generation. We turned him in more than once but nothing was ever done about it.
"It wasn't until after I came here as a patient that I discovered his true sadistic behaviors. Behind closed doors he would experiment on us, pumped many of us with some strange chemical. I watched as many of my fellow inmates were transformed right in front of my eyes right in front of me."
"How many?" Barbara asked
"I can't say for sure, but at least dozens. Barbara, I seen what those things could do. He had the first inmate he turned into a monster rip another inmate apart right in front of my eyes. Whatever he did to those things, they aren't human anymore. That's when me and the other inmates turned him in. He to scared us more than any other inmate in that asylum. You got to stop him Babs, whatever his plans are with those mutated inmates, it has to do with the cleansing of Gotham."
"I will stop him Harley, I swear."
"There's something else Babs." Harley got as close to the glass as she could and her voice became so soft she was barely whispering. "He knows your secret, he knows your Batgirl"
Barbara's eyes widened at that news. She suddenly a alert popped up on her phone noting her of a possible crime that needed her attention.
"Be careful Babs." With that Harley hung up and she was headed back to her cell. Barbara looked at the location of the alert on her phone, it was a chemical lab. Barbara had noticed a hike in robberies at labs the past few years ranging from Gotham all the way to Central and Star City. Her father had done all he could to increase security at the labs in Gotham and had encouraged the cops in the other cities to do the same but to little success. Barbara knew there had to be a connection to the mutated inmates and the robberies, Strange had hired somebody to steal the chemicals he needed for his mutations and whoever he had stealing for him was a expert thief. She caught this thief she would put a major dent in Strange's planned. She had to stop this thief.
The lab was just on the city line between Gotham and Metropolis. Inside, Catwoman had taken care of most of the scientist. Using her whip she tied up the scientist and used them as hostages as she made her way to the chemical storage.
There was suddenly a crash at the window and Catwoman turned around, expected to see Batgirl, only to see to her surprise it was actually Robin.
"You look surprised to see me," Robin said.
"I was expecting the redhead," Catwoman hissed.
"Sorry to disappoint you." Robin teased.
"And I'm sorry for what I'm about to have to do to you." Catwoman then lifted her right leg to plant her heel right into Robin's face. Robin however quickly ducked and dodged to the right.
" You know, I don't like hitting ladies."
"Then take my advice and leave Gotham now while you still can, you can't stop what's coming, nobody can."
"You know I can't do that."
"Then you leave me no choice." Catwoman then swung kick after kick at Robin, but he quickly dodged everyone of them before quickly grabbing her left leg and twisting her to the ground, holding her leg in order to pin her down.
"Look Selina I know you don't want to do this. I've read your file your just a jewel thief, you have no interest in creating monsters that will destroy a city."
"You think I want to?" Catwoman hissed, I have no choice, he will turn me into one of those things if I don't do everything he says.
"I can protect you,"
"Ha!" Catwoman laughed "Nobody can protect me from that monster, I get this last batch of his P.A.H mutagen than I am getting my ass out of Gotham. If you are smart you would do the same."
"You know I can't."
"Then you're a fool."
Suddenly Batgirl came breaking through the door, she paused when she saw Robin pinning Catwoman to the ground.
"Took you long enough." Catwoman hissed.
Robin thought Batgirl would congratulate him but instead she took out a batarange and threw it Robin's lower leg, knocking him to the ground.
"Geez what was that for?" Robin cried as he grasped his leg.
"You were warned to stay away!" Batgirl hissed
"We are on the same side!"
"I am saving your life kid!"
"Me too!" Catwoman added, before Batgirl turned around and punched Catwoman in the face silencing her.
Batgirl then turned her attention back to Robin as she took out a pair of cuffs and handcuffed him to the leg of a table.
"I told you next time I saw you intervening I would have you arrested and I was not bluffing. Read my lips, you are not Robin, I do not need your help, and I do not want to see you out here again. Do you understand me!?"
Robin did not answer, instead just glaring at Batgirl with a look of anger and frustration.
"You know if you were smart you would listen to him." Catwoman smarted off before swinging her claws at Batgirl. Batgirl quickly dodged them, grabbed Catwoman by the wrist and twisted Catwoman's arms backwards. Catwoman screamed in pain as Batgirl held on to her arm as she pinned her down.
"Your under arrest for robbery, criminal conspiracy, and a hell of a lot of other things." Batgirl said.
"I had to don't you understand, he would have killed me if I didn't."
"Still doesn't make it right, and you can talk that over with the commissioner."
Batgirl lifted Catwoman off the ground and placed her in handcuffs. As she started to lead her outside she turned to the scientist who were still tied up. Taking out a batarange she cut them free from their bondages.
"Do you mind if I hold on to the mutagen, it will be safer in my hands then in yours until this threat ceases."
"Yes, of course," a female scientist said, "Take what you need.
Taking the mutagen and carrying it with her right arm she led Catwoman outside where her father awaited along with Officer Tate and four other police cars.
"Caught her red handed trying to steal this." Batgirl claimed taking out the mutagen. "This is what Hugo Strange is using to make his monsters." She then pointed towards Catwoman. "At least now we have his little partner in custody."
"Your making a mistake I was only working with him because I was forced." Tate grabbed Catwoman and forced her into the police car. "You think I'm safe in police custody, he will find me and kill me, you are signing my death certificate Batgirl!"
"I suggest having all remaining labs within the cities she has struck hand over all their mutagen until this threat passes."
"I will see what I can do," Jim said scratching the back of his head, but this seems strange, this is not the type of crime that Catwoman gets involved in. You think she's telling the truth?"
"Doesn't matter, she could have ran and sought protection, instead she is now just as responsible as away for a long time because of it."
"I thought you would understand like Batman, but I was wrong. You don't deserve to wear that cowl." Catwoman hissed at Batgirl as the car she was loaded up in drove away.
"There is one other person who needs to be taken into custody, I have him cuffed to the table inside."
Jim and Talia followed Batgirl inside, but when they arrived Batgirl found to her surprise that Robin was gone, only the cuffs she used on him remained.
"So where is this person you cuffed?" Jim asked.
Batgirl just growled and walked off. "Clever boy."
Up on the rooftop Robin made his getaway. He had a pick hidden up his sleeves get out of the cuffs, now he just needed to get as big of a head start on Batgirl as he could. He thought if he stopped Catwoman and helped her, Batgirl would see that they were on the same side. But instead she cuffed him and threw Catwoman to the cops not offering Catwoman the help she was asking for. Shaking his head he knew getting through to Batgirl was going to be harder than he thought.
Down the road Catwoman sat in handcuffs in complete silence. Then out of nowhere she lunged at the cops, breaking through the glass that separated her and the cops and lunged at the cop in the passenger seat. Opening the passenger door she used her razor sharp gloves to cut seat belt and kick the officer out. Then she turned to the driver. The driver took out a gun but before he could fire Catwoman kicked it out of the way, then knocked the drivers forehead against the glass giving him a concussion and stunning him. She then grabbed the steering wheel and putting her foot on the breaks and parked the car to the curb. She then unbuckled the cop and drug him out to the curb, laying her fist to the cops face knocking him out.
"Sorry I had to do that, but I'm getting out of Gotham while the getting's good. She dug through the cop's pocket and pulled out the key. Unlocking the cuffs she got back in the police car and drove off. Aiming to get as far away from Gotham as possible.